Indie rock and roll band Bad Bad Hats will be making a stop in Columbia’s Cafe Berlin on Sept. 14. Consisting of members Kerry Alexander, Chris Hoge and Connor Davison, the Minneapolis-based group is currently on tour across the U.S., riding on the success of their sophomore album, “Lightning Round.”
MOVE had the opportunity to sit down with Kerry Alexander, the band’s lead vocalist and songwriter, in advance of their upcoming show in Columbia.
Expanding upon the origin of the band’s unusual name, Alexander calls back to a childhood favorite in the “Madeline” children’s books.
“There was a VHS musical cartoon series also with the “Madeline” characters,” Alexander explains. “There’s the one where the Spanish Ambassador moves next door and his son Pepito is a bit of a troublemaker and they refer to him as the Bad Hat. When I was younger, if I was causing trouble, my parents would refer to me as a Bad Hat. So, I think it just has always stuck with me in my life.”
The music of Bad Bad Hats primarily concentrates on themes of love, with lyrics telling tales of unrequited crushes and heartbreak. As the lead lyricist for the band, Alexander explains her connection to the topic and how it has grown with the band, even as she married fellow band member Hoge.
“I love a good rom-com; I love a good love story,” Alexander laughed. “…To me, I think there’s a lot to work with in love songs, a lot of different angles to take. I have in recent years tried to encourage myself to write more. Love songs about being in a long-term relationship wasn’t something I had written much about in the past, so that’s my new angle.”
Alexander believes the strength of the group is largely attributed to the harmony found in creative differences. Producer Brett Bullion contributes a different creative direction to the creation of their music and has a strong influence on the final product, to the point where it “wouldn’t be the same without his involvement.”
“I think we definitely have some overlapping tastes and interests,” Alexander explained. “I think both of us can appreciate the craft of songwriting, or a catchy melody or something that grabs you. But I think my energy is always simple, catchy, easy to follow. Brett encourages me to take something that feels catchy and familiar and try to put a new spin on it, try to experiment at this more and try to think outside the box of how you can create certain sounds.”
The structure of Bad Bad Hats is undergoing changes beyond lyrics, however. Bassist Noah Boswell will be leaving Bad Bad Hats to pursue a master’s degree, making “Lightning Round” the last record to have his contributions. The band played his last show in Minneapolis, giving Boswell a hometown send-off.
“We’re all really close, growing up together, so we all want what’s best for each other,” Alexander reminisced. “It’s just so clear that this is a really great thing, going to grad school. He’s really excited about his new place and school and it’s just great to see him happy and excited.”
Boswell will be replaced by Connor Davison, who Alexander says brings a new skill to Bad Bad Hats.
“I think my favorite thing is that Connor is a songwriter as well,” Alexander said. “I really love talking to Connor about songwriting and we just relate on a lot of those little things in songwriting that we can kind of nerd out over. I really feel like I have a kindred creative spirit in the band to really bounce ideas off of. I’m just very excited for collaborating in the future.”
While most fan interaction takes place online, Alexander truly enjoys being on tour for the personal connection she makes with the people.
“It is just an exhilarating thing in general just to be that vulnerable and just up there for all eyes to see, mike’d up,” Alexander said. “There’s something so special about the energy that [an] audience gives you. I know it’s cliche, but it’s really true. The audience could have such a huge effect on how you perform and the way the show goes. Even if you play all the notes the same way, a different kind of crowd can totally change the experience.”
With that, Alexander would like to invite MU students out to the show for a “very joyous experience.”
“We got jokes, oh, we got dance moves, but we also have some fine indie rock and roll,” Alexander said. “So, if you’re interested in any of those things, I think you’ll enjoy the set.”
Bad Bad Hats will be spreading their message of joy, creativity and love to the downtown Columbia area very soon. Tickets to Bad Bad Hats can be found at [www.badbadhats.com/tour](http://www.badbadhats.com/tour).
_Edited by Alexandra Sharp | asharp@themaneater.com_